depart

verb

de·​part di-ˈpärt How to pronounce depart (audio)
dē-
departed; departing; departs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to go away : leave
b
: die
2
: to turn aside : deviate

transitive verb

: to go away from : leave
Choose the Right Synonym for depart

swerve, veer, deviate, depart, digress, diverge mean to turn aside from a straight course.

swerve may suggest a physical, mental, or moral turning away from a given course, often with abruptness.

swerved to avoid hitting the dog

veer implies a major change in direction.

at that point the path veers to the right

deviate implies a turning from a customary or prescribed course.

never deviated from her daily routine

depart suggests a deviation from a traditional or conventional course or type.

occasionally departs from his own guidelines

digress applies to a departing from the subject of one's discourse.

a professor prone to digress

diverge may equal depart but usually suggests a branching of a main path into two or more leading in different directions.

after school their paths diverged

Examples of depart in a Sentence

The group is scheduled to depart tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. Our flight departs at 6:15 a.m. The train departed the station on time. He is departing after 20 years with the company.
Recent Examples on the Web But after Henry and his delegation departed Newark, N.J., on Tuesday, Santo Domingo unexpectedly reversed course, refusing clearance to allow his plane to land. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Antarctic Peninsula in Depth, departs from Ushuaia, Argentina, on Nov. 6, 2024, and Spirit of Antarctica departs Ushuaia, Argentina, on Oct. 27, 2024. Melissa McGibbon, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2024 But Donald departed last summer, months ahead of the end of her contract. Steve Thompson, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Being sharp and crisp at the outset even after two wins was out of the question following a nightmarish six-hour wait to depart New York and get to Toronto for the Warriors’ second game in two nights and third on the road trip. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 Shortly after departing from Burbank Airport, Karol G‘s private jet made an emergency landing in Los Angeles. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2024 The aircraft departed from Sweden, crossed into the U.S. Northern Command area of responsibility and returned to Ellsworth AFB, where the B-1Bs are permanently stationed. Lawrence Richard, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU Call this a contingency plan for the possibility of Mike Evans departing in free agency. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 The flight will depart New York at 11:25 a.m. and land in Tokyo at 2:30 p.m. the next day. Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'depart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to divide, part company, from Anglo-French departir, from de- + partir to divide, from Latin partire, from part-, pars part

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of depart was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near depart

Cite this Entry

“Depart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depart. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

depart

verb
de·​part di-ˈpärt How to pronounce depart (audio)
1
a
: to go away or go away from : leave
2
: to turn aside : deviate

Legal Definition

depart

intransitive verb
de·​part
: to fail to follow : deviate from a course or standard
rather than sentencing petitioners to a term within the Guideline range, however, the District Court departed downward eight levelsKoon v. United States, 518 U.S. 81 (1996)

More from Merriam-Webster on depart

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